The board signals approval for banning the chemical from infant formula packaging and baby food, but stopped short of extending it to toddler food.

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection has signaled its approval for a phase-out of the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A - or BPA - from infant formula packaging and baby food.

Emily Figdor of the group Environment Maine says she's thrilled with the board's position, even though members stopped short of banning BPA from toddler food.

Figdor says board members said there is ambiguity in the law. "And what they were saying is they see the need to protect more kids, but the law needs to be clarified in order for them to be able to do that."

Figdor says the board's action goes further than a recommendation by staff of the Department of Environmental Protection, which wanted to apply the phase-out only to infant formula packaging.